Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1887-09-01
THE TIMES.
THE vICTIMIOF CIGARETTES.

When Russell H. Knevals, the medis
cal student, was found dead in bed
Thursday at the house of his father,
the late President Arthurs former law
partner, at 80 East Flfty-eight Street,
groundless rumors of suicide and OPT
um poisoning we're circulated. He was
more the victim of tobacco in the shape
of cigarettes than anything else. Yes
terday Coroner NJ. J. B. MESSENGER
made an autopsy, rather against the
wishes of Mrs. Knevals, and last eve
ming he gave the result Of it as follows
to a World reporter: 81 found the
heart Aabby and fatty and decided en-
largcment of the liver and spleen
both the results of the tobacco habit,
he said. ssThe stomach and kidneys
were normal, but the brain was con-
gested. l should say that death en-
sued from congestion of the brain,
aggravated by tobacco heart and ac-
companied by a congcstive chill. The
chill resulted from malaria caused by
sewer: gas, as the.street has been torn
up; but as the deceased was great
cigarette smoker l think the habit re-
suited in congestion Of the brain.
"You see it is not every man who
can smoke with impunity, and, al
though Mr.. Knevals was % years old
and stout man, it resulted in his
death. There is nicotine In tobacco,
whether manufactured into cigars,
cigarettes, chewing or smoking tobacco,
and the result is always the same
poison. Stout, dark and sallow people
are not as apt to be poisoned as thin,
light complexioned persons-at least,
that is the result of my observation at
Mount Sinai hospital, where l have
had many .internalsnervous diseases un-
der my charge. noticed that nervous
men and boys were troubled with inter-
mittent heart pulsations in greater
proportion to women and girls. In
most cases the males used tobacco and
the females did not. The pulsatlons
of the heart would be regular in tone
and note say for eight or ten pulsa-
tions, and then there would be an in
Permission or suspension of two pulsa-
tions. The Germans call this 'taback
herr, or tobacco heart. Tobacco con-
tains two deadly poisons, nicotine and
empyreumatic oil. tho antidotes for
which are tannln and coffeine, or strong
coffee. One drop of nicotine in state
of concentrated solution would imme-
diately destroy dog; birds perish at
the approach of tube containing the
fluid the mere smell killing them. To-
bacco moderately taken in any form
quiets restlessness, Gains mental and
corporal inquietude and produces
general languor or repose which has
great charms to those habituated to
the impression it creates. A little use
of the narcotic gives rise to the confu-
sion in the head, vertigo, stupor, faint
ness, nausea, vomiting and general
depression of the nervous and circula-
tory function which, if increased, even
tuates in alarming and even fatal pros
tration. as was the case with young
Knevals. The symptoms Of its exces-
sive use and action are severe retching,
distressing and continued nausea, a
feeble pulse, GOODNESS of the skin,
fainting and commissions. The symp-
toms of tobacco heart are coated tongue,
q sluggish pulse and heart, an anxious,
haggard expression, heavy bleared
eyes with the whites discolored to SAT-
from, and, worst Of all, the intermittent
heart pulsatlons.
Manufactured tobacco contains
more nicotine than the raw material,
and combustion while smoking always
increases the quantity. l believe a
pipe which allows the partial evapora-
ton or absorption of nicotine the best
---or rather the least harmless-smoke.
The cigar, which allows some evapora-
ton by its wrapper, is far less injuri-
Gus than the paper-wrapped cigarettes,
as the paper neither absorbs nor per-
mits the evaporation of nicotine. [
smoke perhaps ten cigars day with
out harm, butt should never think Of
smoking ten cigarettes. Grant smoked
vast quantities Of strong cigars, which
ouly effected his throat and not his
heart, but few men could have done it.
Young Knevals is said to have smoked
sixty cigarettes day. That's fear
full dose.
George Martin says: One of the
strongest points to be made tint favor Of